21 Scary Things Big Data Knows About You

Every time we use a computer, access our phones, or open an app on a tablet, we’re leaving a digital trail. Most people are vaguely aware that
Google knows what they’ve searched for, or that
Facebook knows who their friends are, but it goes much, much deeper than that.

Google also knows your age and gender — even if you never told them. They make a pretty comprehensive ads profile of you, including a list of your interests (which you can edit) to decide what kinds of ads to show you.

And the police know where you’re driving right now — at least in the U.K., where closed circuit televisions (CCTV) are ubiquitous. Police have access to data from thousands of networked cameras across the country, which scan license plates and take photographs of each car and their driver. In the U.S., many cities have traffic cameras that can be used similarly.

The Internet knows where your cat lives. Using the hidden meta-data about the geographic location of where the photo was taken which we share when we publish photos of our cats on sites like Instagram and other social media networks.

Your credit card company knows what you buy. Of course your credit card company knows what you buy and where, but this has raised concerns that what you buy and where you shop might impact your credit score. They can use your purchasing data to decide if you’re a credit risk.

Your grocery store knows what brands you like. For every point a grocery store or pharmacy doles out, they’re collecting mountains of data about your purchasing habits and preferences. The chains are using the data to serve up personalized experiences when you visit their websites, personalized coupon offers, and more.

Your apps may have access to a lot of your personal data. Angry Birds gets access to your contact list in your phone and your physical location. Bejeweled wants to know your phone number. Some apps even access your microphone to record what’s going on around you while you use them.

This is actually just the tip of the iceberg. As we dive deeper into the benefits big data can provide to us, we’ll also be happily coughing up more and more data. The iPhone Health app, for instance, can collect data about all kinds of intimately personal things about your health.

It’s up to us, as consumers, to be aware of what we’re giving away, when, and to whom. I would love to hear your concerns and comments on this topic.